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jscotello
4th June 2001, 19:29
About a week and a half ago I was in a motorcycle accident. None of my injuries were too serious, and after the healing process is complete, I may not even have a scar - which is too bad as it is my understanding that "chicks dig scars." Here is my list o' problems: sprained ankle, broken nose, road rash on my left side (including my face), non-perminant damage to the veinus system in my left hand, damaged ego, and a whopper of a concusion. I'm doing very well now and am back at work. However I was wondering if anyone experienced similar issues (namely returning to the dojo after a serious bonk to the mellon), and what advice they might have about when to return.

To elevate any non-budo follow-ups here is what happened: A late 80s four door Ford LTD blew a stop sign. The driver never stopped or slowed the vehicle, and fled the scene. In an attempt to not get schmucked by the car, I dumped the bike (and was knocked out for a couple of hours) at about 35 mph. I was not wearing a helmet (and am well aware of the pros and cons of this decision - I have a brand new helmet and promise to wear it). After completely discribing the car, the police found it parked about a block and a half from the accident. It is registered to a sixteen year old girl, who probably never even knew that I was there. As she left no "evidence" the police plan to show up at her house with about six officers and three squad cars to scare the crap out of her.

Please let me know your qualified opinions about training after a concusion as I am very eager to get back. Thanks in advance for your advice and concerns.

Johnny Scotello

David T Anderson
14th June 2001, 23:18
Originally posted by jscotello
About a week and a half ago I was in a motorcycle accident.
Please let me know your qualified opinions about training after a concusion as I am very eager to get back. Thanks in advance for your advice and concerns.


Johnny -- I'm not particularly qualified, but I _do_ know that concussion is more serious than a lot of people seem to think it is. Any concussion that causes LOC [loss of consciousness] can have serious consequences. I'd recommend that you seek out a sports medicine specialist who know more about the subject and can properly evaluate your situation.

Don Cunningham
15th June 2001, 06:35
In 1995, my car was hit from behind. I stopped to avoid hitting the car in front of me, but the kid behind didn't notice and ran full speed into my car (about 60 mph). My daughter and I were wearing seat belts, but the accident caused sheer damage. I don't know if I spelled it right, but it means that your head moves so fast and then stops, but the brain sloshes around and is bruised hitting the inside of the skull.

Needless to say, my body was also sore and bruised. I noticed some problems focusing my eyes when reading, yet I thought it might have been the muscle relaxants I was taking. My lawyer suggested I see an eye doctor, though, to rule out a detached retina. After a bunch of tests, the specialist informed me that I was losing the vision in my left eye and might lose it in my right as well. Apparently, the swelling from the concussion was pressing on the optic nerve.

Right after the accident, I had serious memory loss. Most of the important stuff, like my name and home address, came back by the time I was admitted to the hospital. A few weeks later, though, I started forgetting people I had known for years. My speech started slurring and I would have problems thinking of the right words to finish sentences.

I don't know how many CAT scans I had, but with medication and time, the swelling finally started to go down. I eventually regained most of my speech, my memory, etc., but I am still blind in my left eye and have trouble remembering appointments and some details about my past.

I've learned to deal with most of the things. I keep careful notes about my calendar and check it frequently, for example. I have learned to rely more on just one eye for vision. (Unfortunately, my right eye was always the worse astigmatism, so now I need my glasses all the time since my left eye was the 20/20 vision before the accident.)

My point is not to relate all my own problems, but to urge you to check with a neurologist. It does take time for many head injuries to become apparent, too. In my case, it was more than a month before the really bad stuff started to be noticable. Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope your concussion doesn't turn out as bad.